How to get involved in politics?

[omnieoin]

Hi,


I'm in secondary school not just about to go into 5th year and have a big interest in politics and would love to get involved in local politics in the South Dublin area.
I helped out at the General Elections during the count.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to get involved with a local party? Fine Gael or Labour maybe.

Also, how difficult is it to get properly involved and work your way up as i'd like to help out at elections and maybe have a career in politics.

Any help would be great.


Thanks!

[The Collective.]

www.yfg.ie

Jion there.
Its hard to break the clique. But when you get to know people, its gets easier to interact.

[qtman]

www.yfg.ie

Jion there.
Its hard to break the clique. But when you get to know people, its gets easier to interact.

Sounds like great fun. Why don't you tell him/her how to join the Order of Freemasons while you're at it?

[qtman]

Hi,


I'm in secondary school not just about to go into 5th year and have a big interest in politics and would love to get involved in local politics in the South Dublin area.
I helped out at the General Elections during the count.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to get involved with a local party? Fine Gael or Labour maybe.

Also, how difficult is it to get properly involved and work your way up as i'd like to help out at elections and maybe have a career in politics.

Any help would be great.


Thanks!

Being successful in politics involves:

Ditching all of your idealogical baggage at the earliest opportunity
Working harder than you ever thought possible
Being known by lots and lots of people
Being liked by lots and lots of people (It doesn't matter why)
Having access to a lot of cash
Being able to bullsh1t your way out of any given situation
Being able to make up credible statistics on the spot

Once you can do all that, it doesn't matter what Party you're in.

[St Disibod]

Hi,


I'm in secondary school not just about to go into 5th year and have a big interest in politics and would love to get involved in local politics in the South Dublin area.

[...]

Also, how difficult is it to get properly involved and work your way up as i'd like to help out at elections and maybe have a career in politics.

Any help would be great.


Thanks!

qtman exaggerates a fair bit. You'll witness people selling their souls in any party, but you'll also find people of solid integrity in any party also.

There's plenty of avenues into the action. Many will slow up now that the election machines are being unplugged until 2009, but that's all the gap will be. In two years they'll be flying on full throttle again.

Colleges tend to offer the best opportunity for young people to get involved: as a secondary school student you'll tend to be limited to the constituency organisation which are sometimes stodgy and hard to penetrate. But not all of them are.

I don't know much about Labour Youth, but Young Fine Gael does boast a few constituency organisations. There's a fairly active one in Dun Laoghaire- so PM me if you want to get involved there.

But probably the best thing to do is decide which party you want to join, and then contact a TD or councillor from that party. If they don't make you feel welcome, turn around and try someone else.

[merle haggard]

dont join the PDs as they are infamous for dressing up in satanic robes and buggering young schoolboys in neo con initiation rituals

[The Trinity Politick]

http://www.yfg.ie/kennedy.php

Jaysus Mary

[JCSkinner]

Scary monsters.

[baldur0300]

Hi,


I'm in secondary school not just about to go into 5th year and have a big interest in politics and would love to get involved in local politics in the South Dublin area.
I helped out at the General Elections during the count.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to get involved with a local party? Fine Gael or Labour maybe.

Also, how difficult is it to get properly involved and work your way up as i'd like to help out at elections and maybe have a career in politics.

Any help would be great.


Thanks!

Amature mistake. Never ever even slightly suggest that you might be interested in politics as a career. Don't even have it in your head when you walk through the door. People will smell it off you and immediately start plotting your destruction.

Despite what the opposition tried to make out at the election (and opposition posters here will probably agree) there is a significent gap between Labour and Fine Gael so I would try to decide first which party best represents your views long before even considering joining a party.

Disibod is right about the contact. Try your local TD first and then get in contact with the youth wing. Its always a good idea for your TD to know your name and this is the first best chance to make an impression.

[baldur0300]

http://www.yfg.ie/kennedy.php

Jaysus Mary

From what I'm told John's a nice guy but he does look kinda scary in that pic.